CPL 2020 – Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks Game Plan: Unstoppable Nabi and woeful Tridents death bowling
The CPL 2020 has sparked some interesting T20 match-ups. Here, we take a look at the key game plans and tactical thinkings that could play a role in the Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks game in CPL 2020.
CPL 2020 Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks Game Plan 1
Barbados Tridents and their death woes
Barbados Tridents have notably struggled in the death overs in this edition of the CPL. In three of their first four games against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (twice) and Trinbago Knight Riders, the Tridents had the opposition in a eerily similar position heading into the death overs.
- SNP 16 overs – 115/3
- TKR 16 overs – 116/3
- SNP 16 overs – 116/2
They restricted the Patriots who had less firepower in the death, conceding 32 and 36 in the four death overs in the two games but against the Knight Riders went for 69 in four overs. They were once again more effective against Jamaica Tallawahs in the death, giving away 32 in four overs, but conceded 66 against Pollard and co on Saturday in the four death overs.
The pattern is evident. The Tridents struggle big time in the death against strong power hitters and Zouks have one in Mohammad Nabi in their line-up.
Zouks’ Nabi vs Rashid Khan in T20 and T10
Nabi has been exemplary in the death overs this CPL. He has blitzed 52 runs in 25 balls this CPL, being particularly brutal against his Afghanistan teammates and spinners, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Rashid Khan, although both times he was dismissed by the two.
The Tridents are better off not bowling spin to Nabi, especially in the death. He has a brutal record against Rashid Khan too, belting 62 runs in 32 balls across T20 and T10 formats. Although the leggie has dismissed him thrice, the price paid is pretty heavy.
On the contrary, the death bowling numbers show Nyeem Young and Kyle Mayers as Tridents’ best death bowlers, although their numbers too aren’t tbat convincing. Tridents’ best bet against Nabi is bringing in an enforcer in the form of Keon Harding and throwing him at Nabi. The other option is to get him in before the death and stifle him with pace and bounce. The best option is, of course, attacking early and having the opposition in a limbo before the death.
For Zouks, targetting the death overs with Nabi and Najibullah, a left-right pair will be ideal. They might want to try the left-handed Mark Deyal down the order too to tackle Rashid who is likely to bowl close to the death, if not in the death itself.
CPL 2020 Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks Game Plan 2
The Johnson Charles threat
The Barbados Tridents batting line-up sorely lack a big name. Alex Hales and Marcus Stoinis were ruled out of this season and though the batting js long, there aren’t way too many threats in the batting line-up.
Johnson Charles, at the top of the order, has been throwing his bat around in the powerplay overs and is a sensational hitter of pace bowling. That said, he also gets out to pace quite a lot.
With his potential partners, likely to be either Shai Hope or Justin Greaves, also not big strikers, the onus is on Charles to hit big in the powerplay and it makes sense to throw at him his biggest weakness, the ball turning away from him.
Charles has 15 dismissals against left-arm spin and leg-spin since 2019 in T20s. The Zouks don’t have a right-arm wrist-spinner but they have Saad Bin Zafar, a left-arm orthodox spinner who was used in the last game too to stifle Charles. He then went for just 10 in two overs and was effective when he bowled slow through the air against the right-hander.
Barbados Tridents’ Johnson Charles
Zafar should open the attack again, but it might be worth giving Nabi the ball too. With more turn for finger spinners this season, Charles has also had slight issues against mystery spin (Mujeeb) and off-spin with Jon-Russ Jagessar also dismissing him this season. Kavem Hodge, who also turns the ball away from right-handers, is a decent part-time option to have too, just for the match-up.
CPL 2020 Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks Game Plan 3
Stifling Rahkeem Cornwall
Rahkeem Cornwall was unquestionably the best opener in the last edition of the CPL with his power-hitting being very effective. Cornwall struck at a runs per over of 12.5 against pace and 10.3 against spin in 2019.
ALSO READ: Barbados Tridents squad analysis
A brutal force at the top, Cornwall tends to attack through the powerplay and even after that and can take the game away from the opposition within the first six overs.
Stopping him early is pertinent and Tridents have the ideal match-up in Mitchell Santner, a new ball spinner who turns the ball away from him. Three of his five dismissals this season have come against balls turning away from him.